Best of The Best Women’s Football Coaches

​Four candidates earning their second The Best FIFA Women’s Coach nomination

Only once had anyone been nominated twice for the award

Continental champions and a double winner among returning names

To be among The Best is a great achievement. To repeat it, though, is something truly special. Maintaining success is a feat only the highest performers in football realise and it always deserves recognition.

Up until this year’s third instalment of The Best FIFA Women’s Coach Award, it was a very exclusive club for those to have received two nominations. Frenchman Gerard Precheur was the only member. Now he has some company.

We take a look at the four familiar names on the shortlist for 2018 and how they’ve managed to stay at the top of the women’s game. And you can have your say in who walks away with the award on 24 September in London by voting for your favourite coach before midnight CEST on 10 August.

Emma Hayes

Chelsea – Nominated 2017 and 2018

Having guided Chelsea to a dominant victory in the Women’s Super League Spring Series in 2017 – a transitional half-season campaign – with bags of goalscoring flare to earn her nomination 12 months ago, Hayes then repeated the feat with the Londoners across a full-length season. Hayes juggled pregnancy and a run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals while clinching a league and cup double, winning the former without defeat.

The Quote

“While of course I want to influence other females in the game, more importantly I want to be renowned for being good tactically, being an outstanding coach who delivers well on the grass, who gets the best out of my players and who ultimately competes for titles year in, year out.”

Vadao

Brazil – Nominated 2016 and 2018

Having led Brazil to the semi-finals of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament at Rio 2016, which helped earn him his nomination two years ago, Vadao parted company with the Seleção. However, just over a year later he was back and maintained Brazil’s sky-high expectations in the Copa America Feminina in April, winning seven out of seven games, leaving with a plus-29 goal difference and clinching their spot at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™.

The Stat

0 – Before his first stint in charge of Brazil, Vadao had never taken the helm of a women’s team. Across a career of almost 30 years, he is a true journeyman of Brazilian football, coaching the likes of Sao Paulo, Atletico Paranaense and Goias, to name but a few, in the nation’s top flight.

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg

Switzerland – Nominated 2016 and 2018

Excelling in qualification has been the backbone of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s nominations. After guiding Switzerland to their first Women’s World Cup, a storming run to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 earned her a spot on the shortlist in 2016. Now, on the road to France 2019, Voss-Tecklenburg – who will become Germany coach next month – has achieved another near-perfect campaign, securing six straight wins to put them on the brink of a return to the global showpiece.

The Stat

23 – Since 2013, Voss-Tecklenburg has not lost a single qualifier for a major tournament, racking up an incredible 23 wins from 24 games. The only minor blemish on her record en-route to Canada 2015, EURO 2017 and France 2019 was a 1-1 draw with Denmark.

Sarina Wiegman

Netherlands – Nominated 2017 and 2018

The current holder of The Best FIFA Women’s Coach trophy, Sarina Wiegman has been riding the crest of an Oranje wave over the past year. Guiding her impressive Netherlands side to continental glory on home soil just two years after making their Women’s World Cup debut led to Wiegman clinching her personal accolade in 2017. Having shared the Algarve Cup title, the unbeaten Dutch now just need a point in their upcoming qualifier against Norway to return to the world finals.

The Quote

“We have a life before the Euros and a life after the Euros. We want to keep up with that and we want to keep on performing well.”